New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-08-10

AdAu sss bringing down one OF tho
visiting antelope from whore we stood.
I confidently unslung my Wincheste ter,
and alter throwing cartridge into the
chamber took fine aim at the forehead
of a magnificent buck, who was intent
II watching us from the. short range Of
two hundred yards. I could see the
eyes of the animal plainly, but when I
attempted to glance along the sights
both the forehead and the rear notch
became SO badly blurred that it was
simply impossible to draw an acurate
aim. lowered the piece, and, for a
few minutes, the whole panorama
spread out before me became dancing
mirage, so that was unable to dis
tiaguish steers from antelope and
ground from sky. Ny vision came back
to me In few minutes, but upoh at
tempting the sighting process again
the same distinct blur came over the
sights and rendered an accurate aim
impossible. ] tried it again and again
with the same result, and then remem-
bered a pointer given me by an old
plains hunter some years before, which
was and is thorough and positive an
tidote for snow-b blindness.
Take B. piece of burnt cork, or if that
is not handy, burn a match and char
little piece of wood Black the, skin
around and under the eyes, and also
the whole length of the nose on each
side, and also down the bridge of the
nasal organ. Armed with this little
precaution, no one need ever fear an
attack of snow-bllndness. My friend
had match, and as for the cork
well, we had little bottle between US,
and portion of the stopper was
quickly converted into charcoal. With
this literally s.smutted'' nv nose
and eyes, and then tried tos.see if I
could discern an antelope across the
sights with ordinary clearness.
It was a total transformation. The
animal stood out in bold relief and the
notch and bead Of the sights were as
clear and distinct as even the most
fastidious on such subjects could
desire
| blazed away at the same old fool
ish buck, who was still gazing in sort
of wonderful admiration at us, and had
the satisfaction of dropping him at the
firstifre. We dined off antelope steaks
thatanight, and juicy, delicious. NOR
sci it was, too. While visiting nv
friend at his ranch, I enjoyed more
than one delightful hunt. Among the
game bagged by myself may be mem
toned a gallant buck of the blacktail
deer species, with the most beautiful
antleHs I have almost ever seen; a
brace of mountain sheep, and any
quantity Of cotton-tail and jackass
rabbits.
But my best sport was in. hunting
antelope among the herds. The fool
ish creatures seemed utterly and totally
fascinated by the great big, half-ciyiliz-
ed steers, and in roaming over the
snow-covered prairie searching for the
antelope, all that was necessary was
simply to spy bunch of cattle and
there the game was sure to be found.
While hunting on the upper Mizpah I
saw tracks of great many elk, also
mountain lion trails, the frequent and
numerous evidences of coyotes and
wolves by the million. The cowboys,
however, were attending to the latter,
and-business, for every now and then
we would run across fine chunk of
meat, bloody and tempting to the
coyote palate, but which, was loaded.
with strychnine. counted in one
place twenty-one coyote carcasses, but
the miserable cannibal survivors could
not even let their own children alone,
for nearly all, if not ever yone, of the
dead ones were mangled, gnawed, or
half-eaten by their SURVIVING relatives.
The snow was pretty deep all over the.
south Yellowstone ranges, and cattle,
had about all they could do Ito. rustic.
feed.
Our horses broke through the crusted
snow. but 'sthe light fingered gentry of
the plains found it sufficient to bear
their weight without breaking, and so
were having a high old time following
in the wake of our weak COWS and
young calves, ready to. pounce upon
either at the least show of afail." More
losses had already occurred from. these
pests than the, cold weather, deep
snow, and scarcity of feed had produc-
ed. One cowboy while riding the
range, although weli-armed and we'll
mounted, yet alone. fonnd himself fol-
lowed by a score of the brutes for many
miles. Although it was not an alarm
ing situation, yet it was. a dangerous
one; for if any accident had occurred.
such as being compelled to spend a
night on the prairie becoming JUNIORS.
ed, set afoot in anyway. or even a
show of weakness OF. fear, the big gray
wolves of the plains as fierce and as
bold as tigers. would have attacked
both man and beast without the slight
est delay I'm returning from the. ranch,
to the railroad, I found the route we
had come completely covered out Of
sight by drifting snow. In some OF the
coulees and gu)lies it was piled as deep
as eighteen feet; and in travelling across
the trackless waste it was needful 10 be
on ones guard, for there was posi-
bilitY and even probability of walking
directly into these traps without know
ing it In fact, my horse did. while
calmly and soberly wading along. come
to one of the places mentioned, and
before either one of us suspected any